Bryan is a psychiatric advanced practice nurse. She directs the UW–Madison School of Nursing’s post-graduate psychiatric nurse certificate program as well as the psychiatric mental health track of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree program. She also teaches in both graduate and undergraduate programs at the School of Nursing and in the School of Pharmacy.

Bryan has spent her career working to expand access to mental health care, particularly by arguing for the removal of legal barriers that limit advanced nurses from practicing to the full extent of their education and licensure. These legal restrictions prevent advanced practice nurses from playing a bigger role in meeting mental health needs in Wisconsin. She has also secured grants to fund programs to expand opioid recovery services in underserved areas, to train students on addiction detection strategies, and to support faculty recruitment and financial aid for graduate students pursuing careers in psychiatric nursing.

Linda D. Scott, dean and professor of the UW–Madison School of Nursing, tells news.wisc.edu, “In addition to the quality of her direct instruction and mentoring as a faculty member at the School of Nursing, Dr. Bryan exemplifies the role of a nurse leader whose work improves health access and outcomes. Her advocacy and voice representing nursing are critical to conversations that improve mental health. Dr. Bryan’s significant contributions to the field in practice, education, and policy are worthy of induction to the academy, which is our profession’s highest honor.”

According to news.wisc.edu, Bryan is a national expert on medical and nursing ethics and serves on the National Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine’s committee reviewing the federal Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act. She joins 231 new fellows who will be inducted at the academy’s annual policy conference in October.

To learn more about Gina Bryan, a professor in the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Nursing and a leading state and national policy expert on the opioid crisis and addiction, who was recently named an American Academy of Nursing 2019 fellow, visit here.